Bode George, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that President Bola Tinubu dispatched his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to persuade him not to leave Nigeria following Tinubu’s election victory. George indicated that Tinubu recognized they had wronged him and sought to make amends.

Speaking on Arise TV‘s Morning Show, George referred to his previous statement that he would vacate the country if Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election. He also commented on the ongoing tensions within the PDP, calling the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, “like a son” despite internal conflicts, including those involving Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara.

According to Goerge: “Wike is like a son to me and when I saw the division as an elder of the party from the convention; I spoke with Ayu that you made a public statement that if the presidential candidate comes from the north you would resign but now you are manipulating it, and that was where the crisis started.

“It is an anomaly to have the presidential candidate and the party chairman from the same zone, people will react to that. I don’t live my life based on Wike.

“During the campaign period, I stated and meant it that if Tinubu won that election, I was going to get out. Once they heard that, Tinubu sent his Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila.

He came and said ‘Ogbon said please don’t be calm, trying to beg. They came with options that they were sorry because they knew they had wronged me.

“I saw the shenanigans going on between him and his governor and I called the Chairman of the BoT that it’s important for us to arrange a meeting with Fubara and Wike, to know the problem between the two of them.

“Fubara gave us an appointment and set up a committee where we met with him in Port Harcourt, he told us his side of the story. And, when I called Wike that we must see him; he sir I’m going to China and when I’m back we will see.”

George criticized the party’s leadership dynamics, emphasizing the need for resolution among party members. He revealed that he initiated a meeting to address the rift between Wike and Fubara, but Wike was unavailable due to travel commitments.